Hexter's subject—the nature of the historical enterprise—raises the perennially vexing question of past- and present-mindedness in the writing of history. It addresses that issue in a notably down-to-earth, commonsensible, personal manner.

An Outmoded Concept Is Sapping America's Strength

The distinguished historian John Prados calls for a total rethinking of our expansive concept of national security. If we fail to make hard decisions about existential threats, he concludes, we will find ourselves in a death spiral as a nation.

Walker Evans, Ellie Mae Burroughs, and the Great Depression

Walker Evans’s iconic photograph of Ellie Mae Burroughs of Hale County, Alabama, made while he was working with James Agee, has become a memorable symbol of the Great Depression. How it came to be, and what consequences it provoked, make for a fascinating tale.

The Rise of Fundamentalism in American Culture

Fundamentalists, uneasy with modernity and with the American social and moral landscape, prefer the Bible’s teachings—in their faith, in their personal lives, and in the larger life of the nation. Here’s why.

Franklin Roosevelt Takes Command in the Depths of the Great Depression

When Franklin Roosevelt came to the White House, 13 million—roughly 25 percent of the work force—were unemployed. By the day of his inauguration, thirty-eight states had closed their banks. Soon the nation would witness the most furious period of legislative activity in American history.

Kubrick, Bobby Fischer and the Attraction of Chess

The 1972 world championship chess match between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky was an event of international importance—and a media bonanza. Out of a heady cast of characters, Jeremy Bernstein fashions a tale of large personalities involved in an intense, brainy competition.